Imposter Syndrome

“For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14

Recently, I read an article entitled, “Why Highly Successful People Seek Therapy.” I was amazed to discover that of the five most common reasons highly successful people go to counseling, get psychological help, and seek therapy – the number one reason is what is called, “Imposter Syndrome.” Imposter Syndrome is the persistent feeling that you are just not good enough – that you are inadequate, a fraud, and a fake. In other words, it is a struggle with self-esteem.

Self-esteem is an issue that affects everyone – even the richest, the most successful, and the most famous of people. Madonna, who has a net worth of $800 million and has been at the top of the musical world for 30 years, is the epitome of the world’s definition of success and yet she once said, “My drive in life is from this horrible fear of being mediocre. And that is always pushing me, pushing me. Because even though I become somebody I still have to prove that I’m somebody. My struggle has never ended and it probably never will. Madonna needs help with Madonna; and there are times when I need help with me and you need help with you.

The problem with self-esteem is not on the outside; it is on the inside. You will never see who you truly are on the inside until you know who God says you are on the inside. Only God can help you see that. Until you see who you are and who you were meant to be in God, you will never be what you were created to be in this life. Most self-esteem issues are focused on the external, rather than the internal…or perhaps a more biblical way to say it is focusing on the temporary, rather than the eternal. The tendency is to focus on fixing the outside, like appearance, social status, and wealth. Chasing these temporary, shallow ideals only leave us feeling emptier, because enough is never enough.

True self-esteem comes only from God, since He is our Creator. He alone knows what we need. He sees and knows our deepest insecurities, doubts and fears. And not only does He see them, He can speak to them with all authority because He is God. Do you suffer from Imposter Syndrome? There is a cure. Come to Christ and His Word and discover how precious you are to God, and the lengths He has gone to demonstrate it.

God, thank You for Your unconditional love for me. Help me to believe that I am worthy because You say I am, regardless of how I may feel about myself.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.